Visions of color

My entire life I have been color blind, which is very rare for a girl. I didn't know any different though so I didn't let it bother me. Yes, I would love to experience color but since that isn't possible, I choose to see the world through my words. My name is Calliope Ripley I am 23 years old, I am a writer of all things fiction and I live on the moon, seriously I do. Many people think I am weird because of my vision and the fact that I am a huge introvert but personally I don't care. My mom tells me that my eyes are an unusual color, a bright turquoise, whatever that is, and that is why people tend to stare at me or avoid me.

Living on the moon since Earth colonized it when I was 8, has given me a unique view on life and for as long as I can remember, I have always made up stories to pass the loneliness. When I turned 18, my parents encouraged me to publish some of my longer books but I was skeptical that anyone would want to read my stories, I was wrong. Within the first 6 months, my books were a hit and there was a demand for more, who am I to deny my fans what they wanted. I have been writing ever since.

From a young age I was always told stories about how things would be when I met my true love, my soul mate. It would change the way I see the world, how the life we life would be altered but in all my 23 years I haven't come close to experiencing anything like that. I have known all my peers almost my entire life with a few new people coming to the colony every once in a while. Little did I know that one day those stories would hit much closer to home than I ever thought possible.

I like to walk around the city and find places that call to me or offer some sort of inspiration, to do my writing. Today I end up at a quaint, out of the way coffee shop, Moon Beans, one that I have been to and writing at dozens of times, so much that the owners and workers know me and my order. Today the owner Pamela is working and as soon as she sees me she tells me, "Go ahead and have a seat and I will get your order all ready for you." Following her request, I go ahead and find a table in the back corner, out of the way and set up my notebooks and pencils.

I tap my pen on the edge of the table and stare out the window trying to come up with the perfect scene about my book on space pirates. I can hear the din and clatter around me, the hiss of steam from the coffee machine, the low murmur of voices and suddenly I hear Pamela call my name. I jump up from my table at the loud intrusion on my thoughts and grab my notebook at the same time. Whirling around I slam right into a hard wall of person. My notebook and scrap paper went flying and the wall persons coffee splashed all down the front of me, scalding my chest and arm with the scorching liquid.

I am alternating between apologizing and yelping out various versions of 'Ouch' with some minor swearing included. The next thing I know a wad of napkins are thrust into my line of sight, which I grab in a haste and start to dab at the burning coffee on my shirt. A deep masculine voice booms out, "I am so sorry miss, are you alright?" That voice stops me mid dab and I slowly raise my eyes to meet those belonging to the sexy voice. What meets my eyes causes a gasp to tear from my chest. I am stunned by the gorgeous male specimen in front of me. Bright white smile and eyes that you could get lost in. I am shaken out of my stupor when I realize the eyes looking back at me with both amusement and concern, are eyes that are in color and then everything goes dark as I faint right into his arms.

The next thing I know, is I am waking up on a couch somewhere. Sitting up I look around and am surrounded by black and white. I let out an audible sigh lay back down. Pamela's voice rings out and I realize that I am probably in her upstairs apartment above the coffee shop. "You scared the crap out of me Calliope! Are you alright? What the hell happened?" she says to me worriedly. "I'm fine Pamela, just thought I saw something weird, everything is fine," I tell her. She eyes me warily but finally smiles, "I think you just swooned over the hot guy that ran into you. Must have been love at first sight if you had that reaction to him," she says as her smile turns into a smirk.

I wanted to reach up and smack her but instead I choose to ignore her comment. Relaxing against the couch cushions, I think back to the moments before I passed out to try and figure out what exactly had happened. It was then that I noticed my wet shirt and let out a groan. "Hey Pamela, do you have a shirt I could borrow, mine is covered in coffee. By the way, how did I get up here anyway?" I asked her inquisitively. "Yeah sure I will get you a clean shirt one second. Oh, and that hot guy brought you up here. He went back downstairs to help pick up your papers and clean up the mess." she stated back to me while handing me a plain t-shirt. I make quick work of changing my shirt and neatly fold my coffee stained one.

"Would you think I was losing it if I told you that I passed out because I swear I saw color in the hot guys eyes?" I ask her. She stares at me for a moment, contemplating her answer and then finally she says, "No I don't think you are crazy. If that is what you saw or think you saw than that is what it was. Honestly, I would think it is a miracle because never knowing color is a tragedy in my book. Do you see any colors now?" "Nope, I only saw it for a moment when I saw the hot guy up close after we collided." I tell her. Suddenly a deep voice cuts through the quiet apartment, "I'm flattered you think I am hot, I think you are beautiful" clearing his voice he continued, "I managed to save most of your papers from the coffee, I couldn't help but read some though and it sounds amazing."

My cheeks were burning at getting caught talking about his hotness but I manage to stammer out a thank you while reaching my hand out to take the papers from him. Our fingers brush against one another and everything around me brightens causing my lungs to force out a gasp. In an instant, deep in my soul I knew he was the one the stories talked about and I didn't even know his name. "Name" I rasp out. Clearing my voice, I try again, "What is your name?" All the while I am staring at him like my life depends on it, as if I were to close my eyes he would disappear. "Zander. My name is Zander Snow and it is a pleasure to meet you Calliope." He tells me. At my raised eyebrows he quickly clarifies, "your friend Pamela told me your name."

"Are you feeling better? I would like to buy you another coffee since I think yours is cold by now and possibly get to know you better. There is something about you that just draws me to you, like this is what was supposed to happen. Its almost magnetic which sounds really cheesy but I mean it. " he states. I eye him warily at first but one look at my friend standing behind him nodding her head like a bobble head I relent, "I would love that." After standing and brushing off any wrinkles I follow him and Pamela downstairs.

We find a table that isn't too out of the way since the one I was at before has been occupied in my absence and start talking. I find out that he is 25 and just moved here to work as a graphic designer for the PR firm here, he lived his whole life on Earth and was overjoyed to have the opportunity to work here. I tell him that I am 23, lived most of my life here and that I am a writer who writes mostly sci-fi romance or post-apocalyptic books under the pen name of Kamaria Crescent. We talked together about anything and everything just like if we had known one another for our whole lives, it was just comfortable. I never even noticed Pamela bringing our drinks or that 4 hours had gone by until Pamela came and tapped me on the shoulder to let me know that it was time for her to close up.

Shocked, I looked around and finally noticed the empty shop and the quiet streets outside. Living on the moon, we had artificial sunlight during the day but at night we had the soft glow from the moon itself underneath us so it was never dark. Gathering our things Zander asked if he could walk me home and I accepted. As we said our goodbyes to Pamela and walked out into the street, Zander softly grabbed my hand and I could feel a blush forming on my face and I shyly looked down at my feet. It was then that I noticed that the moon seemed to glitch a tiny bit kind of like when the power flickers before it goes out, but it must have been a trick of the eye. We walked along in silence only talking to point out directions or the occasional business or office building. Once reaching the townhouse where I lived, we stepped up to the door side by side.

Slowly Zander turned me to face him and slide his hand up to my face, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. The next thing I know is his lips on mine and I could feel my lips tingle from what felt like sparks. The kiss was sweet and gentle and I was filled with contentment. As we parted, I noticed that all around us lights flickered and burst causing them to go out. Looking around in confusion and terror, I see streets going dark one by one. Glass flying from the bursting lights, rain down around us but never actually touching us. Zander takes my hand once again, rubbing the back of my hand in comforting circles and speaks in a low whisper, " do you have any idea how special you truly are." As he says those words, the moon under our feet glitches one last time and then finally goes dark.

Who knew two people and one kiss could change so much. The stories I was told all of my life were coming true. I just didn't realize how life changing they would be.